‘High Potential,’ ‘Tracker’ Lead Fall Cross-Platform Broadcast Series Ratings; ABC Takes Top 3 Slots in 18-49 (EXCLUSIVE)

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As a die-hard TV enthusiast with decades of viewing under my belt, I must say, this data is nothing short of mind-blowing! It’s fascinating to see how streaming and time-shifted viewing has completely transformed the television landscape.

With Nielsen’s Streaming Content Ratings now supplying multi-platform primetime data to its clients, the broadcast networks are gaining a more precise understanding of how their shows’ viewership compares against competitors across live, delayed, on-demand, and streaming platforms. As of now, it seems that the breakout hit among these is ABC’s freshman series “High Potential,” which stands at No. 12 among adults aged 18-49 in Nielsen’s live+7 ratings; however, when seven days of streaming viewership are taken into account, it moves to the top spot.

As of November 21, six episodes of “High Potential” had been broadcast, resulting in an average rating of 0.57 in the 18-49 demographic based on live+7 data. However, when streaming on Hulu (including Hulu on Disney+) was taken into account, the total rating increased by 1.76, pushing the series starring Kaitlin Olsen to a significant 2.33 in the same demographic, marking a substantial boost of 309%. Such a 18-49 rating would have been noteworthy even a decade ago.

ABC’s show “Abbott Elementary” has experienced a significant increase of 291% in the multi-platform ratings for viewers aged 18-49, climbing from the 17th spot with a L+7 rating of 0.55 to the second position with a cross-platform rating of 2.15. In third place, “9-1-1” on ABC has risen by 180%, moving up from the 6th spot in L+7 (0.66) to the 3rd spot in cross-platform ratings (1.85). Meanwhile, “Grey’s Anatomy” jumps from the 19th position in L+7 (0.53) to the 6th spot in cross-platform ratings for viewers aged 18-49 (1.34).

As a devoted cinema enthusiast, I’d rephrase it like this: “In my viewpoint as a film lover, the initial numbers for live broadcasts don’t fully represent the success of scripted programming. Instead, there’s a massive surge in viewership during playback, whether on DVR or streaming services like Hulu and our own direct-to-consumer platforms, as I learned from Ari Goldman, senior VP of content strategy and scheduling at ABC when we talked in October.

In a nutshell, not just the Alphabet network, but most prime-time entertainment series are seeing an increase in ratings when you factor in streaming views, with some performing better than others. Among them, “Bob’s Burgers” on Fox stands out as particularly impressive. It climbs from the 43rd spot (with a 0.36 18-49 rating in L+7) to the top ten (with a 1.23 18-49 rating when you consider cross-platform viewing), largely due to its streaming availability on Hulu.

In terms of total viewers, CBS’s “Tracker” has proven to be an exceptional show, currently ranking as the top program in live+7 day viewing, with a viewership increase from 11.4 million to 14.4 million when streaming is factored in. Meanwhile, the new series featuring Kathy Bates, “Matlock,” has also seen success, taking the second spot in live+7 (10.2 million) and maintaining that position when streaming figures are included (13.5 million).

In simpler terms, “Matlock” has gained 3.3 million new streaming viewers, making it the second-most watched primetime entertainment series on streaming platforms, with only “High Potential” attracting more viewers at 4.3 million. This significant increase in viewership propels “High Potential” from being ranked No. 15 in live+7 ratings (with 6.5 million total viewers) to climbing up to No. 3 on the cross-platform chart, with a total of 10.8 million viewers.

The supernatural comedy “Ghosts” by CBS has proven to be a standout performer in the streaming arena, earning it the fourth spot when combined figures are considered (an impressive jump from 7.6 million views to 10.2 million).

Among streaming-only viewings, excluding traditional broadcast runs, here are the top broadcast entertainment shows with the highest number of viewers this fall, listed in descending order:

In terms of streaming viewership, ‘Matlock’ on ABC has a higher potential with approximately 4.3 million viewers, followed closely by ‘Abbott Elementary’ with about 2.99 million viewers. ‘Tracker’, ‘9-1-1’, and ‘Ghosts’ on CBS all have similar numbers, with roughly 3 million viewers each for ‘Tracker’ and ‘9-1-1’, and slightly less for ‘Ghosts’. The remaining shows, such as ‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’, ‘Elsbeth’, ‘Fire Country’, and ‘Dr. Odyssey’, have lower viewership numbers.

Concurrently, in the 18-49 demographic, ABC’s shows “High Potential”, “Abbott Elementary”, and “9-1-1” all experienced an increase of over one full rating point due to streaming.

Here’s a possible paraphrasing:

As a film critic, I’ve been keeping tabs on the ratings across all platforms – live, time-shifted, video on demand, and streaming – for the season so far, up until November 10th, and here’s what I’ve gathered about the entertainment programs.

TOTAL VIEWERS

  1. “Tracker” (CBS) 14.368 million
  2. “Matlock” (CBS) 13.503 million
  3. “High Potential” (ABC) 10.846 million
  4. “Ghosts” (CBS) 10.228 million
  5. “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” (CBS) 10.108 million
  6. “Elsbeth” (CBS) 9.788 million
  7. “9-1-1” (ABC) 9.309 million
  8. “NCIS” (CBS) 9.251 million
  9. “FBI” (CBS) 9.045 million
  10. “Chicago Fire” (NBC) 8.887 million

ADULTS 18-49

  1. “High Potential” (ABC) 2.33
  2. “Abbott Elementary” (ABC) 2.15
  3. “9-1-1” (ABC) 1.85
  4. “Ghosts” (CBS) 1.6
  5. “Tracker” (CBS) 1.55
  6. “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC) 1.34
  7. “Survivor” (CBS) 1.33
  8. “Matlock” (CBS) 1.3
  9. “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” (CBS) 1.25
  10. “Bob’s Burgers” (Fox)/ “Law & Order: SVU” (NBC) 1.23 (tied)

Of course, there’s still some work left on this project: For instance, Nielsen didn’t record viewership data for the second episode of “Abbott Elementary” that aired on October 16, so that information is not yet available. However, as more data comes in, we’ll be able to provide a clearer picture of how shows are really performing overall and compare them against each other, giving networks and studios valuable insights.

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2024-12-06 00:48